Ice-making apparatus



Feb. 5 l924. 3,483,932

J. F, WENKLER. ICE MAKING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 23. 1922 2 Smeets-.imei` 1 EASSE Feb 5 i924.,

J. F. WINKLER ICE MAKING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 23. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .mmrzmiiioiil Petented t". 5, 1924i y wenn t; carica@ 0F PEEELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA..

Application Med February 2S, 1922. Serial No. 538,677.

To LIZ whom t may com'em:` j

Be it known that I, JOSEPH F. WINKLER a citizen of Vthe United States, residing in Pliiladel hia, Pennsylvania, have invented the Iceaking Apparatus, of which the following is a specication.

One object of this invention is to provide a refrigerating system having a novel combination and arrangement of cans relatively to the tank in which they are mounted, particularly designed to facilitate the melting loose of the ice from the walls ofv said cans when said ice isto be removed therefrom; the invention particularly contemplating the provision of means for delivering heated Huid, preferably in the form of a hotspray, to the bottoms of the cans in order to attaln the above object.

l further desire to provide novel means for utilizing an electric current in preventing the trapping of minute air bubbles in the ice as it is being frozen in the cans, with a view to producing clear blocks of ice.

Another object of my invention is to provide a novel method of utilizing the heattransferring liquid and the refrigerating agent in the can-containing tank of a refrigerating system, with a view to rst freezing water in the cans of the system and thereafter melting loose the ice from the walls of said cans when it is desiredk to remove it.

l also desire to provide a system of the abovenoted ty e with novel means for insurin cireulatlon of the heattranserring liquidg with a view to reducing the time reuired to freeze the water in the cans and tus materially increase the eciency off the apparatus.

These objects and other'advantageous ends l' attain as hereinefterset forth, reference bein had to the accompanying drawings in vv ich, y

Fig. l is a fragmentary vertical motion of a brine tank and its associated apparatus constructed and assembled for operation in accordance with my invention; and

lli 2 is a transve vertical semion on the llne 2-2, Fig. 1.

ln the above drawings, 1 1 represents foundation or supporting structure in te to of relatively heavy girders, on which are mounted transverse beams 2-2 carrying a suitably heat'insulated metallic ta 3. This has a removable cover t preferably oi heat insulating material, and has perma- -prevent the trap nently mounted within it a series of vertically elongated cans 5 of substantially rectangular section characterized, in accordance with my invention, by having their lower ends project downwardly beyond the bottom of the tank for a certain distance such as three or four inches. The joints be tween the tank and the cans are of course liquid tight and may have any suitable` detail construction Without departing from my invention. I

'lhe space within Ythe'tank surrounding the cans is iilled with a heat-transferring liquid 6, such as brine, calcium chloride, or the like, and immersed in this liquid is a series of horizontal or other suitable arrand pipe coils 7 connected throu h con'J duits 8 and 9 with a source of refri erant material such as ammonia, ethyl ch oride, or the like. Also encircling the cans 5 and preferably mounted within the bottom or cwest portion of the tank 3 is a pipe 10 having a series of nozzles or openings within said tank and connected to a source' of sup ly of air under pressure`.

ach of the cans has connected to the center of its bottom an inlet 11 connected through a pipe 12 with a water supply conduit 13. Extending underneath the bottoms of the tanks are steam or hot air pi es 14 having suitably placed openings sprays or jets of steam or hot air ma be directed against the adjacent bottom otytlie cans when this is desirable. bottom inlet ortions ot the cans has mount edin it an e ectrode 15 insulated from the can and supporting structure and desied to be connected with a suitable source Wiere by under conditions of o eration an electric current ma be cause to ilow into the Water within tlie cans and from the same to the cans and tank structure and thence back to the source. Such a current would pmferably be delivered at an electro-motive force of from three to tour volts and l have found that if the positive terminal ot eurrent torce be .connected to said electrodes 15, the minute current derving is sucient to ping of small air bubbles bem formed in the that said ice is clear instead in the ice as it is with the result of translucent.

Suitable littingldevices it are. supported on the uper edges of the cans and extend oentrally own within the seme so that the ice toed to these devi and Each of the f W ereby 1 lill@ when melted loose from the walls of the cans, can be lifted out of the lat-ter thereby.

Under conditions of operation the refrigerant material, such as ammonia, is expanded in the coils 7, thereby reducing the temperature of the brine 6 to such a point as to cause the Water in the cans to freeze. During this freezing action, air is delivered to the brine through the pipe 10 at a slow rate and the risin of the bubbles through said brine causes orced circulation thereof, which tends to hasten its cooling action. At the same time electric current is supplied to the electrodes so that minute air bubbles are prevented from being tra ped in the ice as it. is formed, and when al of the water in the cans has been solidified, I may melt the ice loose from the walls ofsaid cans for which purpose I deliver hot refrigerant material to the pipe 7 so that the temperature of the brine is quickly raised and causes the walls 'of the cans to be so' heated as to free the blocks of ice which they contain. At the same time, sprays of steam' or hot air are directed from the pipes 14 against the bottoms of the cans, so that these also are caused to be freed from the ice blocks Within them, after which the operation,

manufactured more cover 4 may be removed and by the lifting devices 1b the freed blocks of ice may be taken out of the cans. A fresh charge of water ma now be introduced from the conduit 13 t rough the pipes 12 and cold or expanding refrigerating material again deliveredvto the conduit 8 and coil 7 so as to cool the brine 6 in the tank 5,.

By the above apparatus and method of Iam enabled not only to reduce the time of freezing blocks of ice of a given size, but the ice produced is clearer and is .efficiently 'than has hitherto been considered possible. Moreover the ice may be freed from the can walls and removed in a minimum time by `t0 the ottoms of said cans either with the steam delivered from the pipes14 or independently thereof.

ll claim:

1. The combination in a refrigerating system of a tank; cans therein adapted to receive a liquid to be frozen; heat transferring medium in the tank around the cans;

and means for esta'hishing an electrical current in said liquid.

2. The combination in a refrigerating system of a tank; heat transferring liquid in the tank; a water container surrounded by said liquid; and electrical means for delivering an electric current to the water in said container during freezing for preventing ltrapping of air bubbles.

3. The combination in a refrigerating system of a tank; heat transferring liquid in the tank; a water container surrounded by said liquid; and electrical means for preventing trapping of air bubbles in the water in said container as it is being frozen, said means including an electrode mounted adjacent the center of the bottom of the container.

4. In a refrigerating system, the combination with a tank having a heat transferring liquid therein; of a container positioned in said tank, said container bein adapted to receive a liquid to be frozen; an a charged electrode positioned in the container.

lJOSEPH r. wiNKLER. 

